Just Stop

[NanceGreggs]

I cannot abide those who are promoting the idea that we should all just get over Trump - and particularly the events of January 6th - and strive to get along with our friends on the other side of the aisle. Simply put, we have no friends there - and the Republicans have made that abundantly clear.

"Talk to each other, and you'll find common ground," some say. But there is no common ground between those who embrace democracy and those who seek to destroy it. There is no common bond between those who adhere to the rule of law and those who openly defy it. There is no commonality of spirit that exists between true patriots who uphold the Constitution and violent cultists whose only aim is to follow a deranged madman into the abyss.

People of intelligence cannot amicably coexist with people bereft of common sense - let alone reach out to them in hopes of establishing meaningful dialogue. And people who believe in meaningful dialogue cannot be expected to engage in discussion with those whose only means of discussion involve threats of violence if they are not acquiesced to.

This is where we are as a nation. This is where Trump, and his spineless GOP enablers, have led us.

As for those who urge us to reconcile our differences, there may be some whose intentions are heartfelt, and whose motives are pure. But they are either hopelessly naive - or hopelessly intent on urging us to let bygones be bygones, and encourage us to simply ignore the crimes of a corrupt administration.

The Republicans desperately want us to "move on" from the insurrection of January 6th, while at the same time wanting us to hang onto the alleged theft of the 2020 election - an alleged theft they have yet to provide any proof thereof.

In other words, we as a nation are supposed to look forward and look back - only when doing either is politically convenient to the GOP.

There is no room here for compromise. There is no wiggle room for those who have chosen to cast their lot with the cultists, those who have decided that an orange-faced lying buffoon shall lead them.

This is war. And let's never forget that the results of the 2020 election are the proof of who's winning that war

[gab13by13]

1. I stopped watching Bill Maher a long time ago.

[betsuni]

3. What does this have to do will Bill Maher?

[thucythucy]

10. He recently gave a little sermon on his show

saying "both sides" need to stop with the hate.

He wants us to reach out and hold hands and be gentle with each other.

He seems unaware that one side uses aluminum bats and bear spray and moving automobiles to do their "reaching out" while the other side is trying to non-violently save our democracy.

[betsuni]

12. No he didn't.

"You insulted Gossip Girl, prepare to die." It's why I rarely post OPs here. Because of the bullshit negativity on the internet. I was called an Ugly American recently by an asshole.

Don't be the enemy they need. Don't do the "I hate so-and-and-so and if if you don't hate them too then you're evil."

[thucythucy]

14. "How do we stop Trump and the coup?

Take it down a notch."

Really? Take it down a notch?

Sure, calling for people to be executed--absurd and counter productive. But then maybe he should stop eliciting a simple minded response to a simple minded question, When he asks, "What we do with these folks?" is he really expecting people to shout out, "Investigate their actions, bring the information before a grand jury, have the GJ produce an indictment, arrest the person charged, make sure they have adequate legal representation, impanel a jury, prosecute the case, and then if found guilty hand down an appropriate sentence that is both commensurate with the crime but also a deterrent to future bad actors"?

Here's the situation as it stands today. One side--the QGOP--believe in lizard monster pedophiles who use Jewish space lasers to start forest fires, while the other side--us--are trying to save our democracy and our planet.

His screed was self-contradictory. On the one hand he argued it doesn't matter what Democrats say or do--they'll hate us anyway. But then, let's all try to be less abrasive.

Maybe there are masses of people in the middle who might be swayed by vitriol from some random left-leaning hater, but I doubt it. And I don't see very many lefties tossing death threats at school committee members or election officials because they don't toe some leftist line.

Democrats have been trying for decades to reason with the GOP base, which has only grown more and more abusive, bizarre, and dangerous. I don't see how "taking it down a notch" at this point will sway them one way or the other.

[USALiberal]

6. Ahhhhh... ok?? Nt

[twodogsbarking]

7. I stopped watching The Ed Sullivan Show a long time ago.

[kentuck]

2. Well said.

Some people would go to the end of the earth to avoid conflict. But sometimes, it is unavoidable.

The dumbasses have become emboldened. They believe their vision of America and freedom should be accepted by everyone else in this country. They do not have a grasp on reality.

Sensible people cannot accept their conspiracy theories or their cult-like beliefs. It's time to tell them to go to hell.

[OldBaldy1701E]

8. Actually, it is time to show them the way. (n/t)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. When tRump said "we're going to walk down, and I'll be there with you" he declared war

Transcript of his January 6, 2021 speech to his insurrectionists: https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/966396848/read-trumps-jan-6-speech-a-key-part-of-impeachment-trial

Excerpts (emphasis added):

Now, it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. And after this, we're going to walk down, and I'll be there with you, we're going to walk down, we're going to walk down.

Anyone you want, but I think right here, we're going to walk down to the Capitol

...

Because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.

Then he inserts the obligatory Plausible Deniability chaff:

I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.

But he closes the speech with his call in the last minute:

And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.

...

So we're going to, we're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.

...

we're going to try and give our Republicans, the weak ones, {...} We're going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.

So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.

...

There is no question tRump was directing the anger of the mob at Pence. tRump names him 11 times in the speech.

[kentuck]

5. There was no doubt in my mind..

...what he wanted to do.

It's a war. Pick off all his generals, one by one.

[Vdizzle]

9. There is no middle ground between an arsonist and a firefighter.

[niyad]

11. Spot on, as always. I refuse to pretend that the monsters are not trying to destroy us.

[dalton99a]

13. Yeah, let's find "common ground" with arsonists who want to burn down your house

Let's negotiate with the lying sociopaths

Perhaps they'll give you advance notice before they kill you in bed